One version with words in gaelic are in one of the Claney Brother's Song book. The song itself was copyrighted in 1961, 1963 by Tiparm Music Publishers Inc. I've seen copies in larger bookstores. I'm not sure about writing them on the net and I don't read gaelic.

Here's a phonetical transcription. I found it here (click). You'll find it in The Irish Songbook, by the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem. I believe the book is still in print.You'll also find the lyrics and a nice MIDI here (click) - I believe this site is partly hosted hosted by Mudcat's SKW.-Joe Offer-PORTLAIRIGE

I was a day in Waterford, there was wine and punch on the table, a house full of women and I toasting their health ….by the end of the third verse he's sending for a priest.

I learned this song and Oró 'S é do Bheatha Bhaile phonetically as a teenager. I learned Irish as an adult and am now reasonably fluent. But my memories of the phonetics get in the way of my learning these songs properly, both because I pronounced some words wrong and because I remember sounds and not words with meaning.

The tune of this song is very often played at céilidh dances both in Ireland and Scotland. I have hardly ever heard the song sung apart from the Liam Clancy et al recording. (I think Seán Ó Sé also recorded it?) But maybe it is more popular around Port Láirge / Waterford. The Clancy brothers came from Tipperary not far away, and I believe Liam now dwells in or beside An Rinn, Irish-speaking area of Waterford.

In the Clancy version, the singer doesn't "Cuir fios ar an sagart láithreach"; instead of sending for the priest he simply goes to Tipperary, "ó thuaidh go Tiobraid Árainn"

not that the gibberish quoted by Joe says that "brog cor" might refer to a shoe, but I can't make sense of the line as a sentence. As far as I know, all but the last line of the Clancy version is substantially the same as what I've given above, but I find it nearly impossible to make "Agus d'éaluigh bean ón Ráth liom" out of "Au ge steghey bor auh raurren"!

My recollection from an old Columbia LP, is of Liam introducing the song with the translation (?) "Oh I was the day in Waterford, and there was wine and pints on the table. There was the full of the house of women there, and meself, drinkin' their health." Whereupon Makem (from Keady so far away) dryly interjects, "Durty doin's." (Which, judging from the tales told in Liam's book, was probably about right. :)

Any musicians present? When you play the air of this song in a session, concert or at a dance; what do you call it?

I have a book of 18th Aisling - Vision Poems by Eoghan Ruadh Ó Súilleabháin with translations by Pat Muldowney (Millstreet, Co Cork: Aubane Historical Society, 2002). Printed beside most of the poems is the name of another (usually well-known) song given as the tune for the Aisling. One tune name given is "Móirín Ní Chuilleanáin". Tunes, provided by Nicholas Carolan of the Irish Traditional Music Archive, are given at the back of the book. I tried playing Móirín Ní Chuilleanáin, thinking it might be connected with "Molly Ní Chuilleanáin", and was surprised to find it was the the tune of Port Lairge.

I am wondering also if the Port Lairge song might derive from a seachrán (see Seachrán Carn tSiadhail thread for an explanation of seachrán poetry.) If so, manuscript or printed example/s of the progenitor would probably be stored somewhere.

One day I was in Waterford/fal dai, etc... There was wine and punch on the table there/fal dai, etc... There was a housefull of women there/fal dai, etc... And myself was a-drinking their health/fal dai, etc... Their folks were not contented/fal dai,etc... They were somewhat discontented/fal dai, etc...

I have the clancy's book. I'll dig out the the book and e-mail you the relevant pages if you pm me your e-mail.

alternatively for a fast answer e-mail liam's website. there are people there who are completists. I got a query regarding a poem they used to recite answered in less than ten minutes. the words of the poem, the writer, when he lived - the lot!

One day I was in Portláirge Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um There was wine and punch on the table there Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um The house was full of women there Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um And me drinking to their health Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um

And a woman from Rath left with me Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um And three from Tipperary Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um Their people were not pleased Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um They were not but half-pleased Fall dow fall dee fall-lah dad-eye-um

The Clancys said on some record When I was the day in Waterford, and there was wine and punch on the table / there was the full of the house of women there, and meself, drinking their health. I just never realized they were translating the song!

The tune is commonly known as "The Rose Tree" or "The Rose Tree in Full Bearing". If you look for Rose Tree (1) on this page at The Fiddler's Companion, you'll find several other aliases and some sets of words